Sika concrete repair solution brings new strength to town flood defence

Sika’s high-performance structural strengthening solution provided the vital reinforcement for a town’s flood protection system.

Sika^® CarboDur^® carbon fibre reinforced plates (CFRP) offer supreme external reinforcement for a range of concrete, timber, masonry, steel and fibre reinforced polymer structures. Its stabilising properties ensured its specification as the strengthening solution for the Hills Meadow Culvert flood protection system.

The underground tunnel runs beneath Reading town centre, providing a non-visible barrier against weather extremes. Following concerns about the culvert’s continued robustness; a Sika approved contractor carried out repairs to enshrine its effectiveness.

The refurbishment programme began in March 2019. It took place across a 52m x 2.7m area and initially involved patch repairing the culvert’s soffits and slabs using a 3 part epoxy mortar, Sikadur^®-41 Normal. Sika^® CarboDur^® carbon fibre reinforced plates were then surface-mounted to the deck soffit, with Sikadur 30 providing the fixing solution.

The Sika^® CarboDur^® system is one of the most established and proven carbon fibre-reinforced polymer (CFRP) based structural strengthening solutions in the world. Simple and reliable, the high-performance solution is easy to apply and provides outstanding long-term durability. It is the ideal externally-bonded, near surface-mounted (NSM) flexural strengthening.

Stuart Whitmore, at Sika Refurbishment, said: “This concrete repair project was vital to the upkeep of the Meadow Culvert flood protection system. Road closures were in place whilst repairs were carried out, hence the reinforcement system needed to offer optimum protection, as well as rapid, simple application to minimise closure times. The Sika^® CarboDur^® ticked both boxes perfectly.”

For the culvert reinforcement’s final phase, two coats of Sikagard^®-675 W GB ElastoColor were applied to the substrate and CFRP plate protecting the slab soffit. Sikagard^®-675 W GB ElastoColor prevents water ingress and is suitable for a range of concrete structures as an anti-weathering, waterproof, two-way vapour permeable solution to stop pollutants penetrating the concrete matrix whilst protecting the internal reinforcement.

With repairs completed to the highest specification, to the agreed deadline and the client’s full satisfaction, the Sika^® CarboDur^® system has played a leading role in ensuring an essential part of town infrastructure will continue to fulfil its function: protecting one of Reading’s highly-trafficked areas against the long-term threat of flood.